Really? cause here in AUS the console version of ME2 came out before the PC version...FelipeInside

Hm wasn't aware of that, but yeah it was a simultaneous release on Xbox and PC for the US and Europe at least. Not sure why it wasn't a simultaneous release in Australia, are you 100% sure there was a delay between the xbox and PC version release ? It's just I am not seeing anything that points to that. Not that it matters now really, nothing wrong with having confirmation about things. I was just curious why you were worried it might not happen.

The only thing that annoys me is this insistance by publishers to have staggered release dates for regions. I mean seriously do they really need to release it 3 days before everyone else in the US ? Especially on the PC when you consider most will be getting it digitally and digital distribution makes regions redundant.

I didn't even realise there was any concern about the PC version being released at the same time as the console versions ? Mass Effect 2 saw a simultaneous release on the 360/PC so I don't see why it would be any different for Mass Effect 3 but always nice to get confirmation I guess.

you could do worse than check out the humble bundle deal that has a tower defense game included called "Revenge of the titans". You can read more about the bundle here :-

http://www.humblebundle.com/

It is basically a "pay what you want" deal for 5 indie games that includes Revenge of the titans. You can find out more about Revenge of the titans here :-

http://www.puppygames.net/revenge-of-the-titans/

No the offer is only on for 1 week so if you wait for them to be added to steam you will miss out on them. Buy them now and you will get an email giving you information on how to download the games (it will be a website link you click on to download the games). Then later on they will email you when things have been sorted out with Valve and you will be able to add the humble bundle 2 to your steam account. That is how it worked with the 1st bundle, I have yet to get the second bundle, sorta waiting for things to calm down server wise before I get them.

can i activate them through steam ?yemen_headshot

Not yet but they are working on getting that done. The guy in charge of the bundle tweeted this :-

Valve has been contacted, I am optimisticJeffrey Rosen

http://twitter.com/humble/status/14728481476714496

I find it hard to believe that development costs on the PC are any higher than they are on the console. In fact it could be argued that development costs are actually lower on the PC than they are on the consoles but lets assume for a minute that isn't the case. Lets say for argument sake the PC version and the console version costs exactly the same to make. Now they charge PC users $60 for the game and they charge console gamers $60 for the game. That might seem fair after all we are paying the same price are we not and the game cost the same to make on both platforms.

However this is my point when you buy a console game the $60 does not go to the developer, at least $10 of that goes straight to Sony or Microsoft even if they had nothing to do with the game. So we now have a situation where PC gamers are paying $60 for the game and console users are paying $50 for the game and a $10 royalty fee to their console manufacturer.

The PC has no royalty fee that is why games have always been cheaper on the PC. Now if developers are saying that game costs have gone up and they need to start charging $60 for PC games then surely development hasn't gotten any cheaper on the console so they should be paying $70 because obviously they need to charge $60 and the extra $10 for the console royalty fee.

Just wondering: why does it have to be a royalty fee? Its no secret that games are more expensive to make because of how complex the technical aspects are now and how many more people are involved.

biggest_loser

Not sure what you mean by "why does it have to be a royalty fee ?" It is no secret that for every game sold on the consoles a royalty fee is paid to the console manufacturer. So that is an additional cost there for console gamers right ?. Now the PC does not have a royalty fee when a company sells a game on the PC they do not have to give Microsoft any money from that sale, so that automatically means PC games should be at least cheaper than console games does it not ?

I really don't understand why more people aren't bothered about this. I don't have a problem with paying $60 for a game, I do have a problem with paying the same price as a console gamer when their version has additional costs (in the form of the royalty fee) that the PC version does not. That is before we even take into account the cost of console development machines, licences and certification charges that are not present or have minimal costs on the PC.

Development costs are much higher then before. I think the 10$ price hike is justified.

JangoWuzHere

Then why isn't the console version $70 ? I am all for increasing prices if it is justified but if you are asking a PC gamer to pay $60 for a game then surely it is just as expensive (if not more so with the cost of certification) to develop a game on the console. Now the console has EXTRA costs that the PC does not, there is a small matter of the console royalty fee which is around $10. There is no such royalty fee on the PC, so why are we now paying the exact same price as console users ?

I am not arguing against paying $60 for a game here, if it is justifed then so be it. What I am arguing about is the fact that PC games are now just as expensive as console games yet there is an obvious extra cost to console games that PC games do not have to cover. Most people seem to be totally neglecting this area of the argument, console games have always been $10 more expensive because of the console royalty fee. That is why I have an issue with paying the same price as console gamers

mass Effect 3 will also have multiplayer.

JangoWuzHere

That is currently just a rumour, we do not know anything about Mass Effect 3 other than what was shown in the CG trailer. I can't believe some people are perfectly fine with us paying the same price as console gamers when there is a clear reason why console gamers have to pay an extra $10. I have no problem paying $60 for a game as long as the game is $70 for console gamers. As has been said dozens of times $10 goes straight into Sony/MS's pocket in the form of the royalty fee. The PC has no royalty fee so why should PC gamers pay the same price as console gamers when that extra cost does not exist for PC gamers ?

I have no problem with paying $60 for a game if it is justified, but I expect the console version to be $70 if they are charging PC gamers $60. There is a clear extra cost involved with the console version that is NOT present with the PC version. Each copy sold on the console means $10 into Sony/MS's pocket via the console royalty fee. The PC has no such royalty fee and thus should always be $10 cheaper than the console version.

I love Mass Effect and I would love to buy ME 3 but if they are charging me the same price as the console version then I will wait for it to drop in price till it is appropriately priced for a PC game.